Buying from a Junk Yard and being safe...

Cire · 08-28-2006, 03:47 AM

Howdy All,

I was thinking about buying a 3.2 from a local junk yard. The engine is still in the car and I have seen it. The wreck was 100% in the front and didnt touch the engine. The engine started even after the car was in a wreck but they recently sold the alternator and fan off the car so now it wont start. The shop is willing to do a compression test and leak down test prior to selling it to me. They also give a 4 month warranty.

What else do I need to know to keep myself safe? I worry about spending 4K - 5K on an engine and it having a problem or needing to be rebuilt. Anyone have any questions they think I should ask prior to purchase? = )

Thanks everyone.

Eric

tonythetarga · 08-28-2006, 04:04 AM

make sure you get the DME and wire harness for it, even if you already have one, make them throw it in. What does the warranty cover? Make it specific that the engine condition must be in proper operating condition (for whatever milage it has) and that a full refund (or partial refund for minor repairs) would be provided if it has major problems.

charleskieffner · 08-28-2006, 04:09 AM

if your getting it from 20th stauto parts. they are really good guys to deal with. but while i had it out i would for sure freshen it up just to be on the safe side. if you are putting this in your class 1 car......................hang on to yer a$$!

Cire · 08-28-2006, 05:35 AM

= ) OUTSTANDING! I am going to get it from 20th St. Auto. They seem like they know what they are doing and are fairly confident in there product. It is going to go in the Off Road car. = )

When you say freshen it up, you mean things like gaskets? How far would you go with it?

Thanks for the help. = )

Eric

charleskieffner · 08-28-2006, 05:51 AM

hows this amigo...............i finished 2nd overall in state racing off road in a pissant score legal 1/2 1600 car! i beat out 1 cars 2 cars 8 trucks you name it. how?????? being ANAL and having ALL GERMAN PARTS! my partner and i have done this all our lives. bikes trucks jeeps buggies.

if you dont want to sit with your thumb up your A$$ out in the middle of the DEZERT!(been there done that.........NOT FUN) i would tear it down to the point your wallet says NO MAS and hope and pray and spend sleepless nights hoping you touched on every component that can stick you out in the middle of NOWHERE!

since you are not racing it, its just a scary fast toy you will not have to go nuts with SCORE mandated safety items. but if it were mine..................and since mine ended up burning up in mexico due to fuel cell crapping out..................i would drop the bucks on a SPA FIRE SYSTEM. dont try and eeek out any more horsepower from the 3.2. its got enough! RELIABLE IS YOUR MANTRA HERE!

your power to weight equation will flat scare you!

run compression check

new alt

new starter

any gasket you can get to

safety wire -loctite- torque EVERY DAMN NUT AND BOLT> the vibrations on a off road car are unreal.

BIG FAN DRIVEN OIL COOLERS(PLURAL)

ductwork (alum) down to engine from top of cage

anything to keep it COOL in the dezert.

if the internals are good and its low mileage, go have fun!

just remember and TATTOO THIS ON YOUR BRAIN!

when catching AIR...........pull FOOT out of throttle ALWAYS to save CV'S!!!! bring (2) complete cv's with coffee can lids on each end to keep dust out duct taped. strap them in their own bracket on car with tools to change out in middle of nowwhere.

good luck!

charleskieffner · 08-28-2006, 06:45 AM

heres another tip for you. in 1987 my amigoes ran porsche powered 1 car(2 seat). after nels dutton friend and wrench extraordinaire on my motor got done with the porsche mtr. they had NO problems with mtr. it was suspension that always bit them in the A$$! TOO MUCH horsepower! i know thats hard to believe..............but they always broke shocks arms front and rear because the damn thing was so FAST! something to think about also as you build this.

present SCORE 1 cars are running multi king coil overs front rear with limit straps for porsche motors and the real popular chevy motors. these guys are building serious horsepower! serious horsepower! and its a fine line with suspension and gearboxes holding up.

trophy trucks are having to LIMIT horsepower due to constantly breaking things and not finishing.

Cire · 08-28-2006, 08:45 AM

I am running a 5 speed Mendeola. Its a big huge tough tranny and should hold up. I also have 934 high articulation CVs. They heavy duty kind from VW Transaxle here in PHX. The axles are 300M axles. The hub is a desert micro stub heavy duty rear hub. Its a stout little stub. It should hold up to the Porsche HP as well as the desert abuse. = )

Lets go play!

Eric

charleskieffner · 08-28-2006, 08:56 AM

sounds great . is your tranny 5 or 6 speed? mendeola is having sales really good sales on 5 speeds due to popularity of 6 speeds running off of their shelves.

go to my buddies website............elchinero.com for full updates and pics of everythang dezert racing and aviation. we both worked together at garrett(honeywell) years ago when we were young racing huskies in the dez.

you sound like you know what your doing to keep that car together. alot of bucks in it and it is nice. just remember if you take it into mexico..................you got to get it out of mexico! another thing i would do is put SECRET KILL SWITCH somewhere on car so it doesnt get stolen.

secret to keeping them together is SPENDING LOTS OF TIME on them. tighten everything to spec. bring all spares(that in itself is spendy-but it only takes once ) and being a SMART DRIVER! any idiot can break them................the smart ones keep them together!

pre running would be a blast......................but remember you got to get it out if it breaks or it WILL GET STOLEN! bandidos SUCK! spares spares spares!